Yamaha celebrates 50 successful years

by Yamaha Motor on 16 May 2010 In 2010 Yamaha celebrates 50 years since the birth of the first Yamaha outboard motor. It’s a proud past that has seen great innovation and tremendous success. Today Yamaha Motor has established itself as the world’s leading outboard motor brand.

The development project for the first Yamaha outboard motor began back in 1958 with a project staff of just two engineers. At the time, there were no set standards for testing and the development process involved simply running the prototypes 24 hours a day and investigating how to improve the parts that broke down.

The project had started from zero and its final result after overcoming many obstacles and hardships was Yamaha’s first outboard motor model, the P-7 that was marketed in Japan in 1960. In fact, however, it was still far from being a perfect outboard motor. For example, as one of the engineers from that time recalls, it was particularly loud and had a high level of vibration. This led to fishermen quipping: 'You can tell it’s an outboard built by a musical instrument maker because of the sound it makes!'

Based on the experience of its first outboard, Yamaha Motor accepted the new challenge of building a more compact, lighter and quieter outboard. Those efforts led to the birth of the P-3, Yamaha Motor’s second commercial outboard model. Unlike the P-7 development project, most of which was conducted by trial and error, the P-3 project reflected the opinions from the marketplace and the users. This began a tradition of Yamaha engineers making frequent visits to the marketplace to listen to the voices of the dealers and users. That tradition continues today in Yamaha Motor’s market-oriented approach to product development and is reflected in the very latest offerings from Yamaha, the F70A and a new range of Offshore V6 engines.

The new F70A is a remarkable engine and the result of many years of product development. It has one of the most impressive power to weight ratios ever seen in a four stroke outboard and weighs substantially less than all competitive models in its class, both four stroke and DI two stroke.

The new range of Offshore V6 outboards, F225, F250 and F300 are due to arrive in Australia shortly. Dubbed 'Game Changers' in the US these engines are set to change the way Australians think about outboards too.

The new V6 Offshore range have a larger capacity than the current V6 engines they are replacing as well as significantly reduced weight, an amazing achievement made possible through the latest manufacturing processes and cutting edge technology. These engines are beautifully balanced with instant responsive acceleration and Yamaha’s legendary four stroke reliability.

Yamaha remains Australia’s favourite brand of outboard motor. Time and again Yamaha’s outboard engines prove to be the most reliable and durable engines for Australia’s harsh conditions and long distances. These new engines are sure to continue Yamaha’s proud tradition of performance and reliability.

Yamaha outboards are available through an Australia-wide network of authorised Yamaha outboard dealers. All Yamaha 4-stroke outboards are supported with a full 4-year manufacturer’s warranty and all 2-stroke outboards are backed by a 3-year warranty – conditions apply.

All Yamaha outboards are available with the unique 'Protection Plus' package that allows customers to access extended service protection, Yamaha Marine Insurance and DatadotDNA theft protection for more confident and worry free boating.